Back in January, I spoke with Google about its plans to get severe about Android TV as a client streaming platform. While Android TV has proven potential through the years, it’s all the time felt like an afterthought in comparison with Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google’s personal Chromecast units.
Now, the corporate has some proof that that is beginning to change. Shalini Govil-Pai, Google’s senior director of product administration for Android TV, mentioned in a brand new interview that Android TV has 5,000 apps and video games, up from 3,000 round this time final 12 months. That’s partly due to the platform’s momentum in sensible TVs and cable packing containers—Google mentioned in December that it has “tens of millions of users” on Android TV—and partly as a result of Google has been getting the phrase out about its newfound dedication.
“Just to be very open, for the longest time, there was a question mark of, ‘How much is Google investing?’” Govil-Pai mentioned. “The fact that Google is investing and is 100 percent committed to it, and we’re putting our best foot forward on it, I think that is the change that people are looking for.”
The different massive unanswered query is what client {hardware} Android TV will run on. The greatest Android TV system, Nvidia’s Shield TV, is now greater than two years previous, and newer units like Xiaomi’s Mi Box S have been disappointments. The JBL Link Bar, a soundbar with Google Assistant voice controls that’s additionally an Android TV streaming field, has been pushed to late summer season after being revealed in May of final 12 months. Chen mentioned that a few {hardware} bulletins are coming within the subsequent couple of weeks, and that extra units ought to arrive within the fall. (I requested particularly about the potential of an Android TV streaming system from Google, however acquired no touch upon that.)
Google’s I/O developer convention is scheduled for May 7, and the corporate plans to formally announce its Android TV app figures then. But at this level, a powerful app choice is table-stakes for any streaming TV platform. Google nonetheless has so much to do earlier than Android TV is able to tackle Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV in earnest.
